Rights Report: Week of August 19, 2013

Aug 22, 2013

Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has acquired The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Volumes 1 and 2, by Daniel Kraus. The two YA novels tell the tale of a corrupt young man whose death is just the beginning of his 200-year redemption. Kraus is the author of three previous YA novels, and is a senior editor at Booklist. The books will be published in fall 2015 and 2016 respectively. Richard Abate of 3 Arts Entertainment did the deal for world English rights, including audio.

Howard W. Reeves at Amulet Books has bought world English rights to Secrets of the Terra Cotta Soldier by Ying Chang Compestine, author of Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, and her son Vinson. In the book, from the stories of a terra-cotta soldier who has survived through the centuries, Ming learns the history of Emperor Qin, known for building the Great Wall of China, and how and why the terra-cotta soldiers came to be. It will be published in January 2013; the book is unagented.

Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic bought world rights to Paula Young Shelton's Just Like Jesse Owens, a story from the life of civil rights activist Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Shelton's father. Publication is scheduled for 2015; Tina Wexler at ICM negotiated the deal.

Lisa Cheng of Running Press has bought Frank, a picture book by Connah Brecon starring a perpetually late bear whose tall tale excuses prove themselves to be true. Brecon's first book, There's This Thing, will be released by Philomel in 2014. Kirsten Hall at the Bright Group was the agent.

Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum has acquired As Brave As You, the first middle-grade novel by author Jason Reynolds. The story takes place over a summer, in which two boys, staying with their grandparents, learn that bravery and manhood can mean different things to different people. It's slated for spring 2016; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties did the deal for North American rights.

Alessandra Preziosi and Jeannette Larson at HMH Books for Young Readers have acquired U.S. rights to Little Blue Truck Christmas Countdown by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry. In this original board book, the friendly truck from Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way drives around town delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. It's scheduled for fall 2014. Marcia Wernick of Wernick & Pratt Agency represented McElmurry; Schertle is unagented.

Michelle Poploff at Delacorte Press has bought Urgle by debut author Meaghan McIssac. Pitched as The Knife of Never Letting Go meets Stand by Me, it's a fantasy adventure novel in which Urgle leaves his home to embark on a quest to rescue his little brother from a place from which no one has ever returned. Publication is planned for 2015; Sarah Pakenham at Andersen Press did the deal for U.S./non-exclusive open market rights.

Kristin Ostby at Simon & Schuster has acquired world English rights to author-illustrator-cartoonist Mark Pett's The Survival Log of Jeremy P. Quigley. In this first book in an illustrated middle-grade series, 12-year-old secret genius and recently orphaned Jeremy Quigley navigates both middle school and growing up with less-than-ideal foster parents on a ferret farm. It pubs in spring 2015; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency brokered the three-book deal.

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PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Andy GriffithsAndy Griffiths talks to PW KidsCast about ‘The 39-Story Treehouse,’ the third book in his wild, self-referential series, illustrated by Terry Denton, about the madcap misadventures of friends Andy and Terry in their ever-expanding treehouse.

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